Shea Patterson not afraid of two-QB class

Shea Patterson, the nation's No. 1 quarterback in 2016, admits he's "wide open" in his recruitment. But when it's time to evaluate LSU, he said he won't be scared away by a two-quarterback class.

NEW ORLEANS — The nation’s No. 1 quarterback in the 2016 class was too busy winning a state championship to focus on recruiting this fall.

Now with that second consecutive title behind him, Shea Patterson’s ready to start thinking about college. Patterson will have his pick when it comes to schools. He has offers from just about every major program in the country, and he has a hard time naming the ones standing out at the moment.

“It’ll pick up in the spring and summer,” Patterson said. “Spring football I think that’s when I’ll narrow it down to where I’m going. I’m not sure yet though. I have a couple schools in mind. I’m just taking it all in. A lot could change. I’m not too sure where I’m going to go right now.”

LSU’s Cam Cameronn and Les Miles, Auburn’s Rhett Lashlee and Ole Miss’ Dan Werner and Hugh Freeze were some of the college coaches in attendance to see Patterson lead Calvary Baptist to a state title with a 27-24 victory against Catholic-New Iberia.

He was named the game’s Most Outstanding Player after throwing for 233 yards and two touchdowns.

“Obviously having all those coaches there, you want to ball out for them,” Patterson said. “But at the end of the day you’ve just got to have fun and take it all in.”

As for his recruitment, most are ready to peg him to LSU. Though Patterson only moved to Louisiana less than two years ago, he says the Tigers already have the “home state” appeal. His older brother, Sean, is also on the coaching staff, serving as an assistant under Coach Cameron.

The Patterson family has great respect for Coach Cameron, and that may play a part in his recruitment.

“I know they had a lot going on this season, so I didn’t really get to talk to him too much,” Patterson said. “But we’re cool. I like him… I have a good relationship with Coach Cameron and Coach Miles. My brother’s been my quarterback coach my whole life. I’m most comfortable wherever he’s at, but at the end of the day we have to do what’s best for us.”

Patterson attended multiple LSU home games this season, so he saw first-hand the struggles they had through the air. That doesn’t turn off Patterson though, and he’s confident he could excel in that offense.

“They’re going to adjust to whatever quarterback [they have],” Patterson said. “They’re going to run the ball a lot, but I’ve seen them pass the ball with [Zach] Mettenberger. I’ve been to a lot of LSU games, and I feel like I could help them a lot. With Mettenberger, they ran the ball a lot but he also threw for 3,000 yards.”

The one negative attached to LSU is the fact they already have a quarterback committed in the 2016 class. Feleipe Franks ranks as the No. 3 QB in the country, but LSU still wants to try and bring Patterson into the fold.

He said he won’t be scared away by a two-quarterback class.

“At the end of the day, you’re going to have to compete with anybody,” Patterson said. “There are going to be juniors and seniors there, so I don’t really take that into consideration. I’m sure it would be great to go somewhere with you being the only quarterback in your class, but at the end of the day you’re going to have to compete.”

Patterson and Franks worked side-by-side at LSU’s camp this past summer. That afforded them a little bit of time to get to know each other.

“We talked a little bit obviously going to the same camp at LSU,” Patterson said. “He’s committed. It’s my home state. He’s a good kid…He’s a tall glass of water. He’s got a gun. He’s a gunslinger.”

Moving forward, Patterson plans to start reaching out to college coaches more often to build stronger relationships. He plans to attend some junior days in the coming months, but won’t nail down a timeframe for when he’d like to make his final decision.

“I don’t know what I’m doing with my recruiting right now,” Patterson said. “I’m wide open. But a lot could change. I could make a decision here pretty quick or wait until my senior year.”